Two influencers exposed real-life cases of bullying they’ve personally experienced in Korean companies, schools, and the military on a talk show.
The first influencer is Kim Byung Soo, who went to Taiwan years ago to study the Chinese language and eventually decided to stay to be a Korean teacher.
The second influencer is Lee Kyun Hee, a make-up artist and model.
The two of them were invited as guests on an episode of Dee Girls Talk, a talk show in Taiwan, to chat about anything and everything related to Korea.
Kim Byung Soo (left) and Lee Kyun Hee (2nd from the right) | DeeGirlsTalk/YouTube
Partway through the show, the topic of Koreans placing importance on the first winter snowfall came up. At that time, Kim Byung Soo remarked, “Korean guys hate the snow once they enlist in the military because we have to keep clearing it.”
Kim Byung Soo | DeeGirlsTalk/YouTube
With that, the hosts got curious about the military life in Korea and asked, “Is it terrifying to be in the military in Korea? Do you get beaten up by your seniors?”
In the past, yes. I was discharged ten years ago. At that time, you still get beaten up. I’m not the one who hits others, I was bullied when I was a junior, as it was a tradition in the military. But this stopped later on.
We would get hit in places where other people couldn’t see, like the chest area or on the legs, because other people couldn’t see them once we were dressed. [Host: Did they kick you?] Yes. And if we moved while getting hit, we would get hit again. We were not allowed to move at all when we were getting hit.
– Kim Byung Soo
Kim Byung Soo | DeeGirlsTalk/YouTube
Another guest then brought up Korean drama The Glory, which depicted a bullying incident involving a hair curler. Lee Kyun Hee chimed in,
That was based on a true story. [Teachers] pretend they don’t see it because they don’t want to get involved. Some of the bullying perpetrators’ parents have very strong backing or donate money to the school.
I came to Taiwan to study when I was in Grade 2 and went back to Korea for college. There’s less bullying in college – there are things like putting trash in a classmate’s locker. This didn’t happen to me while I was in college, but it did happen to me in the military.
– Lee Kyun Hee
Korean drama “The Glory” | Netflix
As for whether higher-ranked workers would really slap their subordinates in a business setting, just like we sometimes see in dramas, Kim Byung Soo cleared up the misconception by saying that it doesn’t happen at normal companies. Lee Kyun Hee also revealed what he knows.
One might get called up to the rooftop to get an earful. It’s not common to see someone get hit; it’s more of a thing of the past. But if the scolding is serious, they wouldn’t do it in the office or in front of everyone; they would take the other person to the staircase or rooftop where there’s no one else.
– Lee Kyun Hee
Lee Kyun Hee | DeeGirlsTalk/YouTube
Hopefully, the bullying culture will completely die out, regardless of what setting it happens in.
